Diminishing Returns: Ethics of the Fathers, 4:12

How much is enough?

Rabbi Meir says: Minimize your business activities and engage in Torah study. Be of humble spirit before every person. If you neglect Torah study, you will find many causes to neglect it; but if you toil in Torah, God has ample reward to give you.

(Ethics of Fathers 4:12)

“Where, oh where, is that ultimate child?” lamented Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa. “Where is the child that is driving the whole world insane?”

The rabbi went on to explain how, in his youth, he saw men working their lives away, leaving no time for themselves, no time for the families, and no time for a relationship with God. “Why do you work so hard?” he asked one of these men, “if you already have all you need to live comfortably?”

Invariably, the man would reply: “I am not working for myself; I am working for my son, so that he will never have to worry about having enough.”

Years went by, and the son became an adult who worked hard every moment of his life. “I am not working for myself,” the man explained. “I am working for my son.”

“And so it goes, from one generation,” the rabbi said, sadly. “But where is that ultimate child, for whom the whole world has been working all these countless generations? When will this child finally arrive to enjoy the fruit of so much labor?”

Not much has changed, apparently, since the times of the rabbi of Peshischa. How many of us toil in pursuit of greater and greater wealth, excusing our compulsiveness as concern for the welfare of our children?

NEVER ENOUGH

Not much has changed since the days of our sages, either.

Expanding upon his words in the mishna quoted above, Rabbi Meir teaches elsewhere in the Talmud that, instead of preparing a child for the most lucrative profession possible,

a person should try to train his son in a vocation that is honest and simple – all the time praying to the One to Whom all wealth and property belongs. There is no trade that does not have both wealthy and poor practitioners. It is not the career that gives one wealth or poverty; rather a person’s wealth is granted to him according to his merits.

(Kiddushin 82a)

If Rabbi Meir’s outlook clashes with contemporary values, the world view expounded by Rabbi Tachlifa seems even more extreme: “All of a person’s income is determined for him yearly, on Rosh Hashanah” (Beitzah 16a). If so, Rabbi Meir’s formulation of “minimizing” business appears insufficient. Indeed, even according to Rabbi Meir himself, if all livelihood is bestowed by the Almighty in proportion to good deeds, why should any of us work at all? Are we not better off closing our businesses and waiting for God to shower us with riches? Are we not showing a lack of trust in heaven by laboring for that which has already been set aside for us?

The answer, of course, is no. But why not?

The sages tell us that wealth is among the things decreed by fate – or, possibly, by natural design (Moed Katan 28a). This means that no person will ever make himself richer by increasing his hours at work, any more than attaching a second spigot to a water urn will double his reservoir of hot water. Nevertheless, without investing a reasonable amount of time, energy, and diligence in the process of supporting himself and his family, one will not activate the mechanism through which the Almighty’s blessings flow into this world.

Paradoxically, diligent and moderate effort may indeed produce increased success. For although a second spigot won’t increase the amount of available water, too narrow a faucet will restrict access to the water inside the urn. This is why Rabbi Meir advises us to minimize work, not to give up work altogether. Our challenge is to determine how much effort – and what kind of effort – is proper and necessary.

THE MIXED BLESSING OF AFFLUENCE

Although most of us spend a disproportionate amount of time wishing we were wealthier, both the pursuit and attainment of wealth can easily become more of a distraction than an asset. This should be obvious: some rich people are happy and some are unhappy; some poor people are happy and some are unhappy. Clearly, wealth is not the determinant of happiness.

Rabbi Meir warns against the fallacy of regarding wealth as a goal unto itself; rather, we should see wealth as a tool, one that is granted “according to our merits.” Just as an employer entrusts an expensive piece of equipment only to a worker who has demonstrated competence in its use, so too is the Almighty more likely to entrust wealth into the hands of those who will use it responsibly, not merely for their own pleasure and aggrandizement. Therefore, Rabbi Meir cautions us to be “humble of spirit” and accord the same level of respect to every person no matter what his station, lest we become invested in the misconception that wealth is the measure of greatness.

Responsible use of wealth includes eschewing an extravagant life style, supporting the poor and of Torah institutions, and using one’s resources and influence to benefit others through community involvement. But it also includes using freedom from the pressures of earning a living to devote extra time to Torah study.

If we allow material prosperity to become our paramount goal, if we convince ourselves that longer hours and harder work will reward us with greater wealth, then we will concoct countless excuses for not making time to study Torah. By doing so, Rabbi Meir tells us, demands upon our time will sprout up like weeds upon an untended field, and all we hoped to gain through added effort will be lost in futile preoccupation.

But if we see wealth as a means and not as an end, as a tool to be used in pursuit of a higher purpose, then we will discover that we can be equally content without the clutter of the material world. And then, finding ourselves free to devote more time to the study of Torah, we will discover the blessing of a closer relationship with our Creator, which is itself the greatest reward of all.

Visitor Comments: 5

(5)
David,
July 22, 2011 9:41 AM

Although wealth doesn't guarantee happiness, it sure helps!

I suggest that the author errs substantially when he states "...some rich people are happy and some are unhappy; some poor people are happy and some are unhappy. Clearly, wealth is not the determinant of happiness." Although wealth is not the only determinant of happiness (it is also important to have, for example, good health and strong relationships), it is an important element that can help one to achieve happiness. Is it not obvious that a person who does not have to worry about mortgage payments, debts, how to pay for their food bill or their children's education has less problems than a person who does have to worry about such things? Having an easy time in respect of financial issues does not mean that a person may not have other types of problems, for example, in respect of relationships or health, but it lessens the number of problems one has (and even in respect of relationship and health problems, having wealth will often provide significantly greater options to remedy these problems). So, generally speaking, it is much better to have wealth than not to have it!

(4)
Elisheva,
July 20, 2011 9:43 PM

Isaiah~~loosely paraphrased

"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Study Torah and do the way of HaShem and the mountains will sing and the trees will clap their hands."

(3)
ruth housman,
July 19, 2011 4:26 PM

to study Torah

Maybe there are more dimensions to studying Torah, than meeting with rabbis or other religious Jews to study. It could be that the extension of Torah covers a world of experience, and that we can learn "on the job" the issues and deeper dimensions of what it is to be human. I say that even a housewife studying dirt will come to a knowledge, if intended, of universe that is as deep as anyone at a yeshiva.
It's an attitude, not what is studied, and that attitude has everything to do with a growing understanding of love, of tikkun and what is means to be a supportive, caring, humane being.
You can do this, in any occupation, and I say, it's too easy to brush off a life and say, they missed, by doing it for their son, because within that life there can be a multi dimensional caring that is not simply about the accumulation of wealth.
It's a truism that wealth for itself is not wealth, and that a rich person is one who gives, and understands the dimensions of sharing.
In Mea Sharim the men study Torah all day, and the women work to the bone. So what does this say about the study of Torah? For me it means that spirituality, true spirituality, is recognizing we're all in this together.

(2)
Gil,
July 19, 2011 2:32 PM

Dayanu!

Good. Keep up the good work! Enough is enough :)

(1)
Jong,
July 18, 2011 2:55 AM

Clarity

The teaching is clear and lucid. Thanks Rabbi and I look forward to reading more of yours.

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I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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